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Halloween 2k9: Demonbusters
The Halloween 2k9 event took place on October 22, 2009, while the full event kicked off on October 28, 2009. The title for the event was "Demonbusters". There were two sides to choose from The "Light Side" and The "Dark Side". Overview Long ago, a bitter fight between two Gaian demigods left them powerless and imprisoned for centuries, biding their time until they could rise again. Now, a dark deal with the King of Halloween has restored their power... one is hell-bent on flooding Gaia with demons, and the other is building an army to stop her. :THE BATTLE BEGINS SOON... WHICH SIDE WILL YOU JOIN? Event Beginning: First Day & Rest of the Event *Oct 28 Without seeing an official announcement, many Gaians found they they could Trick or Treat in Gold Shops and in Gaia Towns. Two subforums opened up in the forum Halloween 2009: Demonbusters: * The Benevolent Order HQ - Defend Gaia from the forces of darkness! * Sentinel's Infernal Nation HQ - Overrun Gaia with an army of demons! In zOMG's Barton Town, there were mini events to gather Halloween related recipes and ingredients by fighting Werewolves and Vampires. SKITTLES® was the main candy collecting source for Gold Shops and in Gaia Towns, in Gaia Towns, 1 Skittles would count for one piece of candy, while a bag of skittles would count for 11 pieces of candy. *'October 22 - Manga update:' 36 Demonbusters: Fable Fury! *'October 28 - Manga update:' 37 H2k9: Ginoverseer Revelations *'November 9 - Manga update:' 38 H2k9: Hijack'd *'November 11 - Manga update:' 39 Demonbusters: Epilogue Announcements Cindy Donovinh: Announcements *Oct 22: Demonbusters: Get ready for our 2K9 Halloween event! http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/t.55346873/ This is Cindy Donovinh reporting for Gaia 9 Action News. Strange things are afoot as Halloween approaches—as most Gaians know, the end of October always seems to bring plenty of pandemonium. Many Gaians have reported receiving cryptic messages from two strange organizations: B.O.O. and S.I.N.; while these organizations still haven't opened up their membership to the public, they seem to be making one thing clear: soon, Gaians will have to choose a side. Along with this, Gaian archivists have discovered the first few pages of a long-lost tome about Gaia's ancient history—pages which may shed light on what these two organizations are all about. We expect that new storybook pages will be revealed in the following days. All signs point to October 28 as the date of this year's Halloween chaos. To begin reading the story and learn more about B.O.O. and S.I.N., visit Gaia's Demonbusters homepage. Prepare for Halloween *Oct 27: Demonbusters: Read the Storybook! http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/t.55476345/ This is Cindy Donovinh for Gaia 9 Action News. Gaians have been abuzz with speculation over tomorrow's Halloween chaos, and today we're one step closer to understanding the strange events leading up to it. The Demonbusters Storybook is now complete. It tells the tale of two demigods getting into an argument a thousand years ago... an argument that seems to be flaring up again in the form of two competing cults: B.O.O. and S.I.N. To read the storybook, just visit Gaia's Manga Archive: Read the Demonbusters Storybook For more information on B.O.O. and S.I.N., check out the Demonbusters homepage: Prepare for Halloween *Oct 30: More Halloween Goodness: zOMG! Events & New Demonbusters Art http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/t.55657225/ Cindy Donovinh here with a late-breaking update! It seems Gaia's artists have just released a huge slew of Demonbusters and Halloween art, including lots of wallpapers, signature graphics and more! To check it out and grab some great art, click below! Delicious Demonbusters Downloads Jack: Announcements *Oct 29: Demonbusters: The Battle Begins! http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/t.55497425/ Aha, look what FUN I've created! Just in time for my favorite holiday, I've released quite a scourge on the world! I've uncaged The Sentinel—who's been trapped in a box for a thousand years, boiling with rage and sssslowly going mad—and now she aims to build a dark army and create a new world of unholy demonic inssssanity... but her old nemesis, The Overseer, is building an army of his own to stop her. Fight for your future, Gaians... fight for your very livesssss! I'll just sit back and enjoy the fireworkssss... *Nov 4: Demonbusters: Play Now Before It's Too Late! http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/t.55919979/ Hello, my pretties! The battle between my little playthings The Overseer and The Sentinel is still going strong, but it won't last forever. If you haven't yet chosen your side or claimed all the precious items, you'd better hurry! November 6 is your lasssst chance to play. After that, who knows what'll happen? Demons everywhere? A new clamocracy? Or something else entirely? Mwahah! Play Demonbusters! (Psst! Wanna help us improve future events? If you've got a a few minutes, please take this survey and let us know what you think!) Leon: Announcements *Oct 30: More Halloween Goodness: zOMG! Events & New Demonbusters Art http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/t.55657225/ Hail, Gaians! It seems the admins have another dispatch for you to read... In celebration of its one-year anniversary, zOMG! is getting all seasonally sensitive with a whole host of Halloween horrors. Vampires and werewolves are out for blood, launching new attacks every night (in game time). These strange creatures seem to be emanating from portals appearing all over the place. Rumor has it that if you fight your way through one, you'll end up in a nest full of baddies... not to mention a lot of potential loot. You can also expect the return of pesky pumpkin fluffs in Barton Town, plus nightly trick-or-treating with the NPCs (also in game time). To get in on the action, just load up zOMG! already! While there, be sure to check out the new voice chat feature for crews. It'll save you from having to type so much during those life-or-death battles. Event Conclusion Cindy Donovinh: Announcement *Nov 9: Demonbusters: Read the Conclusion! http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/t.56091163/ Halloween has come and gone, bringing the titanic struggle between The Overseer and The Sentinel to a close. This is Cindy Donovinh reporting live from a battleground riddled with smashed pumpkins, dead worms, and so much salt water. After a long and grueling conflict, the Infernal Nation triumphed, leaving the Benevolent Order in disarray. As a result, the members of the Infernal Nation will get to keep their unique skin, bestowed upon them by The Sentinel. Followers of The Overseer won't go home empty handed: their skin will be transforming into something of a "consolation prize." For a full recap of the final moments of the battle, be sure to check out the latest manga! Read the Demonbusters Finale! It is The Sentinel and her S.I.N. Followers who were declared the Winners of the event, included with this announcement were 5 Manga pages. Hijack'd *Nov 9 As The Overseer shows his true form, he and The Sentinel charge each other for a final attack. Sentinel overpowers Overseer, while Bruce Hardcastle spins Ricky Baudelaire over his head. Gino Gambino is about to be attacked by a sentinel being but Sam jumps in front of it; hitting it with a wrench. As Sentinel prepares to strike the Overseer with a mace, Jack steps in and collides their heads together and tosses them into the air, laughing that they are "Baby-Gods" and will be stripped of their powers. Also chiming that Gaians shouldn't eat too much candy; the Followers are confused and irritated at this conclusion. Overpowered by Bruce, Ricky is being choked. But Jack grabs Bruce and shoves a potato down Bruce's throat, killing him again, though technically he was already dead. Jack then runs off into the night laughing, while Gino is left naked and confused. ---- Epilogue *Nov 11 The manga starts off with The Overseer and The Sentinel waking up on the battlefield, both realizing that they lost their godship. But they stood up and continued to fight, with Overseer proclaiming: "Do you really hate me so much?!". Sentinel clearly being the most upset about being mortal, threatened to end Overseers suffering early. But something catches their gaze, it was a humble earthworm laying on the ground, as both stare at the creature, the story ends by mentioning how much time has passed without the aid of the two demigods and stating that "It had never needed anything from them at all".'' Event Items Event Items: ToTing As always, Gaians were able to trick-or-treat in shops or in Gaia Towns to earn candy to give to Jack in return for Jack themed clothing. Jack items * Jack's 2k9 Vest - A vest in orange and black stripes. * Jack's 2k9 Coat - N/A * Jack's 2k9 Pants - A pair of black and orange pants. * Jack's 2k9 Boots - Black and orange boots with dark copper points. * Jack's 2k9 Ominous Mask - A creepy orange mask that will send chills down your spine. * Jack's 2k9 Creepy Claws - You know that jerk who would scratch the chalk board in school for fits and giggles? Yeah, that's me. * Jack's 2k9 Pumpkin Lantern - A crooked creepy staff with a lit up jack-o-lantern. * Jack's 2k9 Giant Lollipop - Mmmm! Taste like pumpkin! ToTing Phrases What NPCs say when Gaians clicked to their shop to collect candy. Alphabetical, but starting with the most used phrase first. Event items: B.O.O. & S.I.N. & Extra * Overseer's Gift * Sentinel's Gift (Complete training) * 3000 Gaia Gold. (Get 10 Followers) * B.O.O. Robes - The threads of this sacred garment have been personally blessed by the Overseer, as he oversees all aspects of his operation, including textile factory conditions. * S.I.N. Robes - No self-respecting demonic cult is complete without a proper hooded robe. (Complete 50 missions) * B.O.O. Medallion - The Sacred Seal of the Overseer. Place it upon your body to receive his blessing. * S.I.N. Medallion - The marking of a loyal Infernal Nation devotee. (Gather your first worm) * Spear of the Overseer - An honorable weapon that is bestowed upon the mightiest of warriors, graced by the Overseer himself. * Sentinel's Death Portal - The passageway to the Sentinel's native habitat. (Get 50 Followers) * B.O.O. Shield - A hardened shell perfect for absorbing evil the harshest of supernatural blows. * S.I.N. Mace - The Sentinel's bludgeoning weapon of choice. Apply directly to forehead. (Complete 500 missions) * 3000 Gaia Gold. (Max out Sabotage experience) * 10000 Gaia Gold. (Max out experience in build, sabotage, and power) *Nov 9 * Potatoverseer - sorry... you've been MASHED (Consolation prize for B.O.O. Followers) * 2009 Skittles Trick-or-Treat Pail - A bright and cheery pail for all of your candy-collecting needs. * Sour Patch Kids Angel and Devil Buddie - Making the right decision can be hard, and these guys are of no help at all! But they might have some good ideas. (Get 1 Follower) Event Items: zOMG * Jackies - How many of these can you wear at once? "A LOT" is the correct answer! :Recipe: Jackies - This recipe lets you create the special 2009 Halloween item, the Jackies. ::Recipe Ingredients: 4 x Vampire Blood / 2 x Candy Corn / 3 x Pumpkin Seed / 1 x Toothbrush * Night Fright Eyes - Eerie, captivating, soul-swallowing and dark. Perfect for any first date opportunity! :Recipe: Night Fright Eyes - This recipe lets you create the special 2009 Halloween item, Night Fright Eyes. ::Recipe Ingredients: 20 x Vampire Blood / 14 x Candy Corn / 14 x Pumpkin Seed / 3 x Toothbrush * Night Fright Skin - N/A :Recipe: Night Fright Skin - This recipe lets you create the special 2009 Halloween item, the Night Fright Skin. ::Recipe Ingredients: 20 x Werewolf Pelt / 20 x Vampire Blood / 8 x Pumpkin Lid / 14 x Candy Corn / 3 x Dental Floss * Werewolf Pup - What says "fearsome, ravening destroyer of anything that moves" better than a cute fluffy plush toy? :Recipe: Werewolf Pup - This recipe lets you create the special 2009 Halloween plushie, the Werewolf Pup. ::Recipe Ingredients: 20 x Werewolf Pelt / 8 x Pumpkin Lid / 14 x Pumpkin Seed / 3 x Dental Floss / 3 x Toothbrush Ingredients: zOMG *'Candy Corn' - Loved by few, ignored by most. What does it taste like? Not corn. Sugar? Maaaaybe. But they are definitely the taste of Halloween! *'Dental Floss' - Don't forget to floss every time you brush. Don't forget to brush everytime you eat. Don't forget to read things that tell you what you already know. Don't forget to go insane from people telling you what not to forget. *'Pumpkin Lid' - Y'know when you leave your pumpkin outside too long, and then you pull the lid up and you can hear the pumpkin rot suck away as you pull? *'Pumpkin Seed' - Suitable for oven roasting, planting to attract the Great Pumpkin, or making a collage in grade school that your mother can pretend to cherish but then 'lose' in a few weeks. *'Toothbrush' - The scourge of treat-or-treaters everywhere. Second only to getting a rock. *'Vampire Blood' - Well, technically, this blood is purloined from other things, but the vampire had it inside it, so we'll call it ' 'vampire' ' blood, okay? *'Werewolf Pelt' - Here's a bit of the hair of the dog that bit ya! Criticism: Skins & Comparison to 2005 During the tutorial of the event, it was stated that only ONE side would get to keep the official event skin, and that skin would be soulbound to the winner(s). Due to soulbinding being unpopular with the population, there were a lot of negative threads about it. Though there were a few positives threads, stating that having a soulbound skin would bring the feeling of accomplishment. Some used the Grombie skin as an example for their posting, stating that exclusive skins from events leads to elitism. There were various feedback threads saying what should and should not happening if one side didn't win. One purposed that both skins should be removed after the event is over, another purposed that the war should end in a tie. On miscellaneous note, some didn't like either skin and compared them to other skins already on the site: "Twilight Sparkling Skin" and "Superior Form's Fire Skin". One User pointed out that the B.O.O. skin looked eerily similar to a harlequin baby. Others however did like the skins given, and worked the event to keep them for their team. >Dev response Fleep is quoted as saying: We are planning on removing the skins of the losing team, and we are fully aware of the consequences of such an action. We don't do it with bad-intent, quite the opposite. We all feel strongly that having real consequences for losing and real benefits to winning creates a level of competition that we think enriches events. We've done enough of them to know certain things that work and certain things that don't. Users will be upset, but everyone's upset when they lose. They will still walk away from the event with a buttload of free items and a bunch more gold. We also think it makes sense in terms of the story and world. We hope that it will make this event a more memorable one (though some users will no doubt say "Yeah, I'll remember it as the one where Gaia screwed its users over!") In the end we feel it's a net positive for users. I don't need to point out to anybody that we don't stand to gain by taking away your skin except in the sense that we think it'll make it a more intense event, and the more you guys like it and spend time playing it, the more successful we'll consider the project. * Serious feedback on the whole "Removing the Skin" deal Criticism: "This Event is Rigged!!" As the event went on during the week, there were some glitches with the weapon firing and Experience points dropping; with that were demanding posts to fix the problem. During this time many Gaians posted in the Site Feedback and GCD that the event was rigged, and that Gaia Staff had already chosen a winning side ahead of time. Devs tried to assure Gaians that the rumors of the event being rigged was false. Compliments There was a survey annoucement as the event was coming to a close, Fleep reported that H2k9 received highly positive reviews. Many Users did enjoy the arrival of the new NPCs, Overseer and Sentinel, the amount of prizes to be won, and the new Jack items. And even though there were some issues with the weapon firing, Users found the event overall very unique in comparison to other Halloweens. Glitches & Problems As no event on Gaia has ever gone on without glitches, the 2k9 Halloween event was no exception. Glitches: Site & Forum * Due to the massive influx of users within a small amount of time, the servers were overloaded, causing Missions being completed not to register. The Gaia Staff thought they could lessen the impact by only letting in a few Gaians at a time. * But one fact was, the event was not meant to be started early. So the solution was to put it on hold and open up the Demonbusters page on the 29th. While the event was put off till the next day, the Demonbusters Mainpage was blocked from Users. Though for some reason there was an error and Users who had a UserID ending with 0, were able to still see the page and play Missions. Many did not realize the page was suppose to be cut off. When the next day came the page was open and missions back up, the Score on both sides were reset. * On Oct 28, around 6:30 PM (EST) Toting was disabled in shops till the 29th. * When Gaians first entered the Demonbusters page, there was a green arrow that would direct them on how to get started. So when clicking on the screen a popup would read: "Click the button indicated by the green arrow!". Even though being clicked and the arrow disappearing from the screen, the popup would still show up at times. Some found workarounds by clearing cache, logging out, or using a "Follower" link to get back to the Demonbusters page. * On Oct 30th, around 9:30 PM (EST) the site experienced 403 and 404 issues. Reloading the page would cause it to display correctly, but this lasted to about midnight for some. >admin: Reports *Oct 28 We released our Halloween event to a portion of the Gaian population this morning, but due to some unexpected server freak-outs we've had to put it on pause for the time being. If you already got a chance to play, don't worry—you won't lose any of your items or progress. We'll make another attempt to re-launch it tomorrow, and hopefully things will go a little more smoothly. There's still some fun to be had, though. We've released the Demonbusters manga, so you can catch up on the strange events leading to Halloween. Sorry for the false start, and thanks so much for your patience. -The Gaia Team Glitches: Gaia Towns * Jack in towns was not functioning properly, and when a user had collected 100 candies, Jack would take the candy but not give the user their Jack themed items. (This was later fixed, though more than 24 hours later). * Flash errors would occur and send up multiple "Quit" or "Continue" popups. Dev Alerts 10/20/2009 1:26 PM - We accidentally added an extra '0' to the Gcash cost of followers. This has been fixed. 10/28/2009 1:32 - We are currently rebalancing some missions. 10/30/2009 12:09 - Firing should be working correctly. Developers messing around too much in the database. 11/03/2009 11:22 - Missions are not frozen, game is now more balanced, and we have addressed the firing issues. Trivia *With the arrival of B.O.O. and S.I.N., there were early speculations on their involvement of this event. *A worm and its humble existence was the start of the demigods fighting. They argued over how the worm would be better suited based on their own personal preferences. *As soon as B.O.O. and S.I.N. arrived, two guilds were created, both User-run. These Guilds invited people who B.O.O. and S.I.N. accepted as Friends. A mere few days after, another guild was created, calling itself N.U.B. and establishing itself as Neutral. This Guild invited people from both factions. Gallery See also & External links * Gaia Event Page: Halloween 2009 *Event Gameplay: H2k9 pt1 // Event Gameplay: H2k9 pt2 // Event Gameplay: H2k9 pt3 *Cult of B.O.O. // Cult of S.I.N. * Gaia Forum: Halloween 2k9: Demonbusters * Gaia Forum: The Benevolent Order HQ * Gaia Forum: Sentinel's Infernal Nation HQ *Announcement: Demonbusters: Get ready for our 2K9 Halloween event! *Announcement: Demonbusters: Read the Storybook! *Announcement: More Halloween Goodness: zOMG! Events & New Demonbusters Art *Announcement: Demonbusters: The Battle Begins! *Announcement: Demonbusters: Play Now Before It's Too Late! *Announcement: More Halloween Goodness: zOMG! Events & New Demonbusters Art *Announcement: Demonbusters: Read the Conclusion! * Gaia Thread: Demonbusters Delicious Downloads! * Gaia Thread: NPC B.O.O. & NPC S.I.N. - Speculations Gone Wild! * Marketplace: Jack 2k9 items Category:Placeholder category (events)